BYD may be the world leader in EV sales, but that doesn't mean all of its products are interesting.
China’s BYD is making waves on the global scene It grabbed attention by outperforming Tesla in their core market. The company is showing substantial profit margins and has continued to grow. promised megawatt charging (although this is currently limited to China) which is unprecedented. In Europe, The company is rapidly broadening its scope. , offering affordable electric vehicles (EVs) and hybrid models for everyone interested.
BYD's technology is solid, their software functions well, and the build quality is consistently good. To some, this new entrant is difficult to overlook, as several of its vehicles stand out remarkably.
BYD Sealion 7 review
The Sealion 7 introduces BYD’s technology into the family SUV market. It boasts ample size, numerous features, and an impressively large battery... Is this something that should concern established competitors?
( Full Disclosure: BYD lent me a Sealion 7 for this evaluation.
What Is It?
The BYD Sea Lion 7 is a large SUV sporting an oddly silly name. Despite sounding more at home in a children's storybook, it boasts quite remarkable performance features and ample interior room. By equipping the Sea Lion 7 with these attributes, BYD aims to make a strong impression. Tesla Model Y, Kia EV6 , and Hyundai Ioniq 5 squarely in the eyes and hoping they’ll blink first. It looks pretty cool all told, thanks to the firm’s swoopy design language.
What Are The Specs?
Two drivetrain options are offered. The initial one features rear-wheel drive, delivering 318 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, equipped with an 82.5 kWh battery for a maximum range of 300 miles (482 km, WLTP). Alternatively, you may opt for dual-axle power, which boosts performance to 530 hp and 509 lb-ft. For all-wheel-drive configurations, there’s an option between an 82.5 kWh battery in the Design AWD configuration or a larger 91.3 kWh variant in Excellence AWD guise. These models claim ranges of approximately 283 miles (455 km) and 312 miles (502 km), correspondingly.
BYD Sealion 7 review
Each comes with BYD’s fancy Blade Battery, which means not only can it survive things like nails being fired directly into it (a common occurrence somewhere, I’m sure), but it’s also a structural part of the car and helps keep things rigid. Your max charge capacity changes depending on which battery you opt for: Smaller batteries can accept up to 150 kW while the bigger pack can take up to 230 kW.
Performance is a BYD ‘thing’, and the Sealion 7 isn’t one to shy away from tradition. The RWD car will crack 0-62mph in 6.7 seconds, and head onto 133mph. That’s is decent, but the bigger-battery all-wheel-drive version will get from 0-62mph in 4.5 seconds and manage the same top speed. Much like the quick Seal, BYD’s so proud of its 0-62mph sprint that it put it on the trunk lid to show the world how quick it is. I guess some people must like that sort of thing.
In the UK prices kick off at £46,990 ($61,000 at today’s exchange rates) for the RWD car, topping out at £58,990 ($76,000) for an ‘Excellence’ trim with all the bells and whistles. That’s more than the Tesla Model Y , and neither version offers more range than the American car. But for some, the fact that it’s not a Tesla means none of that matters.
How Does It Drive?
In the Design AWD car you get plenty of toys and all the grunt, so it will likely be a hit. That’s the one we drove. If you’re expecting the ride of your life you’ll be disappointed. It’s a biggish, tall SUV that weighs north of 5000 lbs. A Caterham it is not. Sure, it’s smooth, quiet and incredibly quick when you pin it in sport mode, but at no point will you feel engaged or busy. It’s a family SUV—not a Ferrari-baiting monster, no matter how much BYD wants to make of its mammoth power outputs. Come in with the right expectations.
There are a handful of drive modes to choose from: normal, snow, eco and sport. Unless you’re really in a hurry, you’re best leaving it in either normal or eco and going about your business. Power delivery is silky smooth in either, though in the latter mode it’s numbed to extend range.
The ride is a mixed bag. On the highway and smooth roads it’s just fine. You roll around trouble-free, but it can be a touch spongy in the corners, and oddly tough over the rough stuff. For the UK’s roads, it’s an interesting mix.
BYD’s hope that the Sealion’s speed will turn it into a sports car is misplaced. It’s not the sort of car that’ll excite people who talk about apexes, lap times and other such things. The steering doesn’t excite, and its handling doesn’t leave you tingling. In all honesty, it is aggressively OK to drive. Unless a dragon or ogre has chased you for a portion of your drive, you probably won’t remember a thing about your journey after you get out. It’s A Car, and that’ll be fine for most buyers.
What’s Good?
While the drive isn’t anything to scream about, there are some neat touches that stand out. Its 18.3-cubic foot trunk can hold more than enough stuff for five-passenger load, and the trunk’s aperture itself is wide enough that you won’t struggle to get things in and out unless you have a truly knackered back.
Then there are the gadgets. BYD views itself as a tech company as well as a car company. If you’re terminally online you’ll have seen its jumping supercar leaping over potholes, or maybe driving itself around a race track. While the Sealion 7 can’t bunnyhop its way around town, it has a few neat tricks.
Its 15.6-inch infotainment screen can rotate from portrait to landscape at the press of a button (or via voice control), so you can choose your own adventure. While Apple CarPlay isn’t supported vertically, the car’s inbuilt tech is supported either way up. Of course, to enjoy it, you have to accept that it’s an all-touch interface. To get to the A/C controls you have to go to a separate screen to fiddle around. If buttons were available it would be easy, but it’s a bit of a faff.
But BYD has packed in plenty of tricks. In the Sealion 7 if you place three fingers on whichever screen you’re on (music, nav… anything) and drag them up and down you’ll change the temperature, moving them left to right will adjust fan speed. It’s a really neat touch, and something other screen-heavy manufacturers should copy ASAP.
Finally, the build quality and materials inside are cracking. You’d expect it for a car in this class, sure, but trying to find where the ‘budget’ materials are will take some digging.
What’s Not Good?
Like many contemporary vehicles, the Sealion 7 has poor rear visibility. Despite having a backup camera and various sensors, which are almost state-of-the-art, craning your neck to look behind you only reveals a small piece of glass positioned rather high up. This makes traditional reverse driving challenging.
In addition, the Sealion 7 performs adequately across most areas. While it doesn’t stand out particularly in any aspect, it also doesn’t fail miserably anywhere. The car is rather unremarkable, which isn’t entirely bad. However, when investing substantial amounts in a vehicle, one would expect some memorable qualities once parked.
Equipped with an 82.5kWh battery, achieving a range of only 283 miles falls short as well. While this figure comes from the WLTP test (during our drive in the Design AWD configuration under varied conditions, we observed about 2.8 miles per kWh—slightly below BYD’s stated estimate of 2.9 miles—but still quite close), come on, BYD. Given your position as the global frontrunner in electric vehicle sales, one would hope for greater advancements.
While having the most advanced ADAS features is certainly beneficial, the Sealion 7’s drowsiness detection camera tends to be overly sensitive. Located on the A-pillar, this system checks whether your gaze strays from the road ahead and alerts you accordingly. However, when it activates every time you glance at the large display to adjust navigation or audio settings, it becomes quite annoying—especially since interacting with these functions requires focusing on the very same screen causing false alarms.
What Is It Like as an Electric Vehicle?
It's all good. While the charging speed doesn't quite match up with some competitors, it still meets the needs of most users adequately. The technology within is elegant and functions smoothly without unnecessary complications. BYD has clearly honed its skills in manufacturing reliable electric vehicles nowadays. It's merely disappointing that this particular model lacks excitement.
BYD Sealion 7: Verdict
Pricier than a Tesla and slightly less efficient, coupled with a brand prestige that falls short... this vehicle seems destined to fly under the radar. However, its appealing design may lend significant support, along with the advantage of not being a Tesla (considering recent events).
For driving enthusiasts, this won’t be appealing. However, for individuals looking for a vehicle that performs all tasks effortlessly and without excitement, it will suffice nicely.
Related Stories
- BYD's Latest 'Mega-Watt' Electric Vehicle Charger Is So Swift That It Renders Gas Obsolete
- BYD Reaches $100 Billion Mark. Next Up: A Vehicle Plant Larger Than San Francisco
- Within BYD's Ambitious Strategies for Europe
- Check out BYD’s 'God's Eye' as It Navigates a Racetrack with No One Behind the Wheel
- BYD's Response to Tesla Autopilot Costs Significantly Less
- Witness The BYD Shark Tackle Australia's Sandy Dunes Amid 100-Degree Temperatures
- This Chinese Electric Vehicle Boasts an Amazing Parallel Parking Hack
- China's DeepSeek AI Has Astonished America. The Electric Vehicle Competition Is Equally Impressive.
| 2025 BYD Sealion | |
| Battery | 82.5 kWh (Comfort, Design AWD), 91.3 kWh (Excellence AWD) |
| EV Range | 300 miles (Comfort), 283 miles (Design AWD), 312 miles (Excellence AWD) |
| Drive Type | Rear-wheel drive with a single motor or all-wheel drive using dual motors |
| Output | 312 horsepower (Comfort), 530 horsepower (Design AWD, Excellence AWD) |
| Maximum torque | 280 lb-ft (Comfort), 509 lb-ft (Design AWD, Excellence AWD) |
| Charge Time | 10-80% in 32 minutes (Comfort, Design AWD), 24 minutes (Excellence AWD) |
| Base Price | £46,990 ($61,000 based on current exchange rates) |
